Rememberance
by colbyjackchz
Summary: When Eve escapes from her soon to be husband, she stumbles upon Forget Me Not Valley. After buying a small farm, her luck seems to be changing when she meets Marlin. But just when she thinks everything is alright, her evil fiance makes a surprise visit.
1. Prologue

Prologue

The young woman sat down in the chair and crossed her legs. She was a pretty young girl, with curly brown hair and glasses. A grey skirt and a blouse was what she wore, along with black flats that made her seem short.

"Thank you for allowing me to interview you Mrs. Rossenburg. It is truly a pleasure to hear your story," the girl said, pulling out a pad of paper and a ball point pen.

The old woman that she was speaking to, sat adjacent of the girl. Her hair was grayed from long years of work, and her face was showing some wrinkles. Unlike the rest of her, that seemed aged and worn out, her pale green eyes were bright. A smile appeared on her face and she sat back in her rocking chair.

"Please, feel free to call me Eve," Mrs. Rossenburg told the girl.

Nervously, the girl twirled a piece of hair that had escaped from her bun. "Alright, Eve…this is my first job on the field," the girl said.

Eve smiled, "I think you will do just fine. It's my pleasure to tell this story…because after being locked up in my heart, and in this farm for years… Well, it's ready to be told."

"My name is Zoe Hartman, Eve. Just thought I would let you know," Zoe said.

"Good to meet you Zoe. I am guessing you want me to start from the beginning?" Eve asked.

Zoe smiled and put her pen to the paper, ready.

"Right from the beginning."


	2. Welcome Home

Chapter 1

_I always knew that whatever I did wouldn't come easy. After all, it was life, and anything I wanted I have to work for. It isn't like someone would hand me everything I needed in a hand basket, and have me set sail on a journey with exact directions. Some things you have to figure out for yourself. You have to take a chance and quit worrying about the outcome. So that's exactly what I did. I jumped head over heels into it…and didn't look back._

"Where do you think you're going girl?"

The big bus driver said as a girl climbed the steps and tried to go sit down. Her light auburn hair was soaking from the three mile walk to the bus stop. Her pale green eyes swept across the passengers of the bus, and found that it was almost empty except for a middle aged man in the back and an elderly woman in the middle.

"Look at me when I'm talking to you. If you want to ride then cough up a ticket," the big driver said a cigar on his lips and a frown on his face.

The girl shifted the backpack she had to her other shoulder and gave the man a look of sadness.

"Sir…please…I-I don't know where I'm going, but it needs to be anywhere but here-"

"No ticket, no go," the man interrupted.

"Please…I have some money if that's what you need," the girl begged, pulling out some gold.

"No ticket, no ride. I don't care who you are or how much money you have. Rules are rules. Now get off my bus," the driver spat, showing no sympathy.

The girl hung her head low as sadness washed over her. Where was she going to go from here? She had run away from all she knew, but for a good reason. She began to descend the heavy steps of the bus when she heard someone call out. "Wait…driver, I have an extra ticket. Can she ride?"

The girl lifted her head sopping head and saw the old woman holding out a ticket to the driver. The driver grunted and didn't seem too happy, but nodded. "Well don't just stand there! Get in before we hold up traffic," he snapped.

The girl offered him a smile and followed the old woman back to her seat, sitting down beside her.

"Oh…do you mind if I sit…?"

The girl asked, not wanting to impose on the woman who had just helped her. The old woman smiled, raising the wrinkles on her face and making her eyes glow. "Of course you can sit! What is your name darling?"

The girl shrugged off her backpack, and tried to keep the wetness of her clothes off of the woman. This was nearly impossible since she seemed to be soaked clear to the bone.

"I'm Eve Rossenburg, ma'am. I can't thank you enough for helping me…"

Eve trailed off. For the first time Eve noticed what the woman was wearing…which seemed a bit peculiar. A hat like a lady bug covered her head above a mound of white hair. She had on bright orange pants with flowers on them and a green flowery vest to match. Boots covered her feet and a cane was seated in the seat beside her.

"It was nothing dear, and I am Nina. Where exactly are you going?" Nina asked.

Eve pushed the wet hair out of her eyes and poked the hole in her jeans. "That's the problem…I really don't know," Eve told her uncertainly.

Nina studied Eve and then looked out the window into the rain.

"I can tell there I something troubling you, dear," Nina said in a warm voice.

Eve opened her mouth to speak, but nothing came out. She nervously messed with the hole in her jeans and chewed her lip. Should she tell her? Nina seemed kind…and after all, had saved her. Still, Eve had trust issues with people…for different reasons.

"You don't have to tell me anything. But if you do need someone to listen, I'm here," Nina assured her with a warm smile.

Eve returned the smile and looked down again, debating.

_I didn't really know who I could trust at that point… I mean, Nina was just a kind old woman, so what threat could she possibly pose? None obviously… But again and again by people I loved, I was just let down over and over again. Finally a gathered my courage halfway through the ride to nowhere and explained it to her… Why I was running._

"Nina…" Eve whispered halfway through the ride.

She had finally gathered up some courage from deep inside her to actually tell Nina. Nina seemed to be dozing, but lifted her head at the sound of her name. "Yes, dear?"

Eve chewed her lip and almost lost her courage.

"I-I'm running…I'm not going anywhere…just running," Eve whispered, sadness and memories clouding her eyes.

Nina looked sympathetic and a bit puzzled.

"Running from what?" She asked.

"Running from _him_…" Eve whispered, holding out her left hand.

Eve showed Nina the simple gold band on her index finger. It was Eve's engagement ring…an engagement she wasn't going to go through with for several reasons.

"You're running from your husband? Dear…you don't look much older than 18…" Nina trailed off.

"I am 19 and almost 20. He isn't my husband…he's my fiancé… It was an arranged marriage by my father. His name is Calvin Epperly," Eve explained sadly.

"Oh…I'm so sorry dear… Is it just because of an arranged marriage that you are running?"

Eve shook her head slowly, and stayed quiet. She had already told Nina more than anyone else…

"No… Let's just say Cal's not all that nice to me," Eve said.

Nina nodded and didn't push her for any more information than she wanted to tell, which was nice.

"I'm sorry…since you don't have a place to go…I am going back to my home in Forget Me Not Valley…would you like to come live with me for a while dear?" Nina asked.

Eve was shocked at her kindness. She would love that! But she didn't want to trouble her…

"Really, I could come live with you? Just until I find a place of course…I wouldn't want to trouble you Nina," Eve said.

Nina smiled, "You would be no trouble at all! Oh! As for a place to live…are you interested in farming?"

Eve thought about it for a second…Farming…she had always found it sort of interesting, but living in the city had never had an opportunity to grow anything more than the occasional flower.

She hadn't even thought about the animals! Eve loved animals! Maybe that was the ticket to her new life on her own…

"I love growing things, and animals!"

Nina grinned, "I have heard rumors that an old farm on the top of the hill is going to go up for auction! That would be perfect for you Eve!"

_Just the mention of the farm seemed to light new spark in my eyes. In planning running away from Cal I really hadn't thought I would make it. But now, with Nina as a new acquaintance, hope of a place to live, and a destination such as Forget Me Not Valley…maybe there was hope for me all along._

For the rest of the ride, the two chatted about farm life and Forget Me Not Valley. When finally, the bus jerked to a stop and the driver opened the door. "Forget Me Not Valley stop here," he called in his raunchy tone.

Eve stood up, and helped Nina with some of her bags. The driver shot her a sharp glare as she descended the stairs with Nina and got off the bus. He quickly shut the door, and sped away, leaving a spray of diesel fumes for them to choke on. When the smoke cleared, a small town was visible not too far off.

"Welcome home, Eve," Nina said with a smile and started the walk towards the little village.

**Author's Note: Hey guys! This is my first Harvest Moon fanfic… so I hope you like it so far! The chapters are fairly short so far, but hopefully none the less awesome! :) Enjoy and review if you want! **


	3. A Peaceful Little Place

Chapter 2

_As soon as I stepped off of that bus, and looked down that hill into the Valley…I knew it was home. I gazed over the land, and took everything in with a single breath. I couldn't wait to get to know the place's quirks and meet the people in it. Maybe once I got this farm…my life could settle down, and hopefully the past would be the past. Now was the time to look toward my promising new future. _

Eve and Nina crossed a small creek and were in the main area of town now, which surprisingly wasn't too busy. There was the occasional passerby, but no one that seemed out of the ordinary. Eve peered at the landscape curiously, and found that Forget Me Not Valley was really just a small village.

On the left, a huge wood building stood, with columns made of whole trees as it seemed. It was simple two stories though, and had a side area on it that boxes of supplies seemed to be stored. They went up the cobblestones and passed an open lot under a tree, which seemed like a peaceful little place.

To the right of that was a small fenced in garden, that some seedlings seemed to be sprouting. As they moved up the street, they passed a stone building with a sign that said Bar. Nina then turned right to a small brick house with a wooden door.

It had smoke rising from the chimney and seemed to be just fitting for her personality. She pushed open the door lightly, and Eve followed her inside.

It was just a simple one room house with not much to it. In the right corner a cooking surface and sink sat. In the opposite corner an old, oak bookshelf was standing. On the back wall, a small table was sitting.

Closest to Eve, in the right corner, sat a bed. On that same wall a fireplace was molded into the wall. At the table, an old man was sitting and looked up at them when Nina shut the door.

He was wearing a pair of patched, black pants and a brown jacket with a yellow shirt underneath. White hair peeked out from the sides of his head, the top being covered by a brown cap.

"Nina, you're back already. Oh, and it seems you've brought a guest," the man said softly, standing up to greet Nina and Eve.

"This is my husband Galen. Galen, this is Miss Eve Rossenburg," Nina introduced.

Eve smiled warmly at Galen and grasped his hand in a handshake.

"Pleasure to meet you Eve," Galen said, returning the smile and handshake.

"I found poor Eve here on the bus. The poor girl had no place to go… So, I brought her back with me to live with us for a while. She is interesting in farming, and possibly the farm that is going up for auction," Nina told Galen.

Galen's eyes lit up at the mention of Eve's interest in farming.

"Well that's wonderful, Eve! There aren't many youngsters like yourself who have what it takes to run a farm. There also aren't many who would be willing to accept the challenge that it is. You are welcome to stay here with us for as long as you like," Galen smiled.

Eve couldn't help but grin at his words. Could she really do this? Did she really have what it takes to run a farm successfully?

Eve nodded, "Thank you very much. You two have been nothing but kind to me when I seem to be just a burden."

"Oh no, dear, you aren't any trouble at all. Now, let's get you settled in," Nina replied warmly.

_From the start Nina and Galen were really my inspiration. They believed in me, even when I was doubtful and confused as to whether I even believed my own self. Never before in my life had I been told that I was a trooper. They made me feel something that I really hadn't felt before, and that was hope. Having these two behind me and urging me forward, made me feel like I could take on the world. Maybe, just maybe, I would._

Eve pulled her now dried shirt over her head and breathed in a huge breath. Nina had put her shirt, jacket, and ripped jeans out to dry since she was still a bit damp from the walk to the bus stop.

Eve couldn't believe that she had struck the luck to have people as nice as these seem to just take her in like they did. It was extremely kind and she would never forget the second chance she had been given. Eve stepped out from behind the curtain that Nina had drawn for her to change.

"Is that better, dear?" Nina asked from the sink.

She was preparing Eve something hot to eat, which sounded wonderful to her protesting stomach.

"Much, thank you," Eve replied, sitting down in one of the chairs at the table to watch Nina cook.

"I'm making you some tomato soup if that's alright," Nina said, from where she was stirring a small pot of soup.

"That sounds delicious!" Eve said, assuring her rumbling tummy that food would be coming soon.

Eve noticed that Galen had left, where to?

"Where did Galen go?" Eve asked.

"He went for a walk, dear. Galen enjoys walks in the evening," Nina explained, getting out two bowls and beginning to serve the soup.

A walk did sound very favorable…at least if you needed to clear your thoughts. "Here you are," Nina said, setting a bowl of soup down in front of Eve and pulling up the chair opposite her.

The red liquid looked delicious and Eve immediately dug in. It warmed her up from the inside out, and tasted wonderful. At that moment, it seemed like the best thing she had ever tasted.

"Thank you Nina! It is delicious," Eve complimented, eating the soup eagerly.

Nina smiled and spooned some of hers into her mouth.

"It is a bit better than usual, since Vesta's crop is doing well," Nina said.

Vesta…? Who was Vesta?

"Who is Vesta?" Eve asked.

"Vesta is the owner of the farm you saw coming in. They have three huge fields that they plant wonderful crops every season. She has two farm hands, Marlin and Cecelia. Oh! Speaking of the people in Forget Me Not Valley… I will have to introduce you to everyone tomorrow! They would be delighted to meet you," Nina smiled, sipping some of her soup out of her spoon.

Eve's eyes lit up at the mention of meeting everyone. If Nina and Galen were this kind…the others had to be as warm to. Maybe this would give her an opportunity to make some friends, or if not that, acquaintances for when the farm becomes hers. That is…if she could outbid the others in the auction.

"That sounds awesome! Are there a lot who live around here?" Eve asked.

"Well as Galen said, not to many youngsters…but yes, we have a small population for a small town," Nina explained.

"Sounds perfect!" Eve said, finishing her soup.

"Just set the bowl in the sink, dear. I will take care of the dishes. You should rest, because I can tell you are worn out," Nina told her.

"Are you sure? I can help," Eve said, setting the bowl and spoon in the sink.

"I'll take care of it. I made you a temporary sleeping arrangement on the couch. Sorry that we don't have an extra bed, dear."

"That's alright, thank you so much Nina. I will never be able to repay you," Eve told her, climbing into her couch cocoon of blankets.

"No need to, Eve. Sleep well…"

Eve rolled over and rested her head on the squishy pillow. She didn't even realize how tired she was until she was overcome by a deep sleep…

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><p><strong>Author's note: Hope you like it so far! :) Review and let me know what you think! :p<strong>

** -colbyjackchz**


	4. Nerves

Chapter 3

Eve's eyes fluttered open and she was instantly overwhelmed by the smell of bacon. Trying not to drool, she sat up and rubbed her eyes, awakening from a dreamless sleep. "Ah, Eve, you're awake," Galen said from the kitchen table, drinking a cup of what Eve presumed to be coffee.

Eve pulled herself from her cocoon of blankets and sat in the chair opposite Galen. "Good morning Eve," Nina said from behind her.

Eve turned around and pinpointed the location of the bacon smell. The pan sizzled as Nina flipped the bacon and smiled at Eve.

"Good morning Nina," Eve answered with a smile.

"Did you sleep alright?" Nina asked, flipping some of the done bacon onto a small china plate.

"Oh yes, I slept just fine," Eve replied, glancing out the glass windows.

Galen was sipping his coffee and looking out into their backyard, watching the birds with interest. Eve glanced over the back yard and noticed a small plot of land that had some plants on it… In fact, that looked like a tomato growing off of one of the plants! "Galen…is that your garden?" Eve asked, gesturing to the small, raised plot in the corner of the back yard.

Galen smiled, "Yes, it is. I know it's not much…but I'm getting to old to do much more than a couple tomato plants and a few strawberries here and there."

Eve twirled a strand of her hair and watched some blue jays play in stone birdbath by the small plot. Just thinking about farming was making her stomach do a nervous (but excited) flip flop. She wanted to get her own plot of land as soon as possible and start her new life as a farmer.

"Were you a farmer when you were younger?" Eve asked, munching on a piece of bacon that Nina had shoved on her plate.

Galen took a couple of strips of bacon, then handed Nina and Eve each a pancake before getting one for himself.

"Looks delicious dear," Galen complimented, "and no Eve, I wasn't a farmer for a living. But when I was younger my parents owned a farm and I helped out around there often. Taking to the liking of gardening, I have planted my own raised garden each year."

Eve nodded and nibbled on her pancake. Like the tomato soup, it was delicious. Nina was a wonderful cook!

"It's delicious Nina," Eve said.

Nina smiled, "Why thank you, dear. I hope you enjoy it."

Eve took another bite of her bacon and glanced back out at the tomato plants with a dreamy gaze. The plants looked extremely healthy, with stems climbing high onto the tomato cages that Galen had placed around each one. A big red one was visible on the nearest plant, and Eve's stomach did that flip flop thing again.

Wouldn't it not be great to have her own place? To grow her own food? To live on her own? Eve smiled to herself, because that sounded more than amazing.

"Would you like any more Eve? We have another pancake and a couple more pieces of bacon if you're still hungry," Nina asked, taking her plate to the sink.

Eve shook her head, "No thank you Nina. It was wonderful, but I'm full for right now, thank you."

Galen looked and Nina and smiled, "I think it's those pre-meeting nerves, Nina. After all, our Eve still has to meet the town."

Nina chuckled and started to wash their three plates…but at the mention of meeting others in Forget Me Not Valley seemed exciting and terrifying at the same time. "Oh Eve it's nothing really. Galen, you've scared her now," Nina scolded, shooting Eve a sympathetic look.

Sure, Eve was a bit worried…after all; she was starting over from what she had known before. Before was definitely worse than this…

Not wanting to get into those thoughts again, she forced a smile, "I'll be alright…I hope." "You'll do just fine. In fact, I'm sure you'll make many friends around here! People are always eager to befriend newcomers. Especially one as nice as you," Nina assured her.

Eve's heart warmed at her compliment and she decided that she was ready…ready to meet the people of Forget Me Not Valley.

_Needless to say, I was terrified…but deep down I knew that these people would be vital to helping me along the newly driven down road of change. Hopefully, these people would guide, befriend, comfort, and help me throughout my new life in this very new world. Hopefully in gaining some acquaintances, maybe even friends, I would be more adapted to my new life away from Cal and everything else that happened in the city. If only the saying 'what happens in the city stays in the city' would be true here. Little did I know, not all problems disappear like I thought they would. But for now, I was finding a great new peace in such a small little town, nestled in beautiful Forget Me Not Valley._

"Oh! Nina, Galen, nice to see you two again. And who do you have here?" An elderly woman asked.

Eve, Galen, and Nina had walked up a huge hill down the street from their house. Up the grey stone path they went and came upon a beautiful mansion. It was at least two stories and was the most beautiful house Eve had ever laid eyes on…next to Calvin's mansion right outside the city where she used to live…

Pushing those thoughts away, she glanced around the front entrance which had a fountain, light fixtures, plants in pots, and beautiful stone work surrounding the sparkling waterfall. Eve looked back at the woman and gave her a smile.

"This is Eve Rossenburg. She is living with us now from her old home in the city and possibly wanting to become a farmer. The auction for the old place up on the hill is in a couple days as you know," Nina explained to the woman.

The woman's eyes lit up from behind her round glasses.

"Oh! How lovely Eve! I can't remember the last time that we had a city person decide to stay here and become a farmer. It's really nice that you came to see me. My name is Romana, and I live on this hill with all of my kitties, my butler Sebastian, and my granddaughter Lumina," Romona said, gesturing two the older man behind her in a suit and a little girl with a yellow headband (and a cute white shirt with matching bandana tied around her neck).

Sebastian smiled warmly, seeming to light up his eyes, as did Lumina.

"I'm so glad you decided to come here Eve! I'm sure we will be great friends," Lumina said, looking genuinely excited for another possible friend.

Eve giggled, "I'm looking forward to getting to know all of you! Oh dear, Romana! A kitty is escaping."

A tricky black and white kitty was squeezing between the door and Sebastian's foot, cunningly escaping. It stopped right in front of Eve, looking up and mewing with curiosity. Its little spots of black and white framed its face, but its blue eyes were as clear as the ocean.

"Well Eve, looks like you have made a new friend already," Galen chuckled as Eve picked the kitty up.

"Yes, I suppose I have. Now I'm going to have to come back for a visit!" Romana laughed, "Of course, come back anytime. Thanks for coming by Eve and see you at the auction!"

_My nerves began to relax a bit after meeting Romana, Lumina, and Sebastian. They were really kind, welcoming, and seemed to be interested in becoming friends. Galen, Nina, and I continued back down the path and came to the next house. By then, I had gotten my wits about me and gained some confidence which was defiantly a plus. After all, this was the moment of truth. The moment when I meet the friends I will hopefully have for the rest of my life. _

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><p><strong>AN: So sorry guys that I haven't posted in what seems like an eternity! I got busy with my main fic, Pokémon Eternal Darkness and have been plowing full speed on that ha ha. I will try my bestest to keep up with this one two, because I know some of you want to read XD Well, that's that and I hope you enjoyed this chapter! PLEASE Review so I can know what's in your awesome heads!**


	5. Meeting

Chapter 4

Eve couldn't stop smiling as they made their way around the village, meeting everyone. There was a family that lived next to Galen (Chris, Wally, and their son Hugh), the bartender and his daughter Muffy, and others that they hadn't even met yet.

"This is the Inner Inn where Ruby, Tim, and their son Rock live," Galen explained, going inside the Inn and leading them inside.

The Inn was beautiful on the inside with beautiful rugs on the floor and tapestries hanging in the doorway to the right and front. The desk was carved of a beautiful dark wood and decorated with various pots of all sizes and colors. Plants were in every corner and a staircase headed upwards which Eve inferred to be the guest's rooms. At the main desk stood a large man with a red hat, wearing an apron and talking to a smaller dark headed woman with short, dark hair. She also had an apron on with red and yellow for its colors. They turned from their conversation and met Eve's eyes as they entered.

"Who is this Galen?" The big man asked, glancing in Eve's direction.

"This is Eve Rossenburg, she wants to take a look at the farm up on the hill that is going up for auction tomorrow," Galen explained.

"Oh! How lovely! Young farmers are a blessing. My name is Ruby and this is my husband Tim," the woman named Ruby explained with a warm smile.

"Nice to meet you!" Eve replied, shaking each of their hands.

"Our son Rock should be around here somewhere…Rock, we have company boy," Tim hollered up the stairs.

"Coming, I'm coming," someone called back.

From the stairs came down a guy in a white and blue outfit with cropped blonde hair and soft brown eyes. A necklace hung loosely from around his neck and a white vest completed the outfit.

"Hey," Rock said, smiling and looking straight at Eve, "I'm Rock."

Eve smiled back, "I'm Eve, nice to meet you."

"Eve is looking into the old farm," Ruby told Rock.

"Ah, that old place. I've heard that it's haunted. You must be a pretty brave girl," Rock said with a teasing tone in his voice.

"Yep, that's me, fearless!" Eve laughed.

Ruby rolled her eyes at her son's obviously failed attempt at flirting. Rock looked a bit sheepish as he got a death gaze from his mother.

"We better be going Eve, so much more to see!" Nina told her.

Eve nodded and followed Nina and Galen out of the Inn, giving Rock a wave.

"See you around," he said with smile.

Eve was still smiling as they approached something that looked like a tipi in the lower part of the valley.

"I think you know the gist of it Eve. We're old and aren't used to this constant walking. "We are going to head back," Nina laughed, patting Eve on the back.

"Do you think you can handle it kiddo?" Galen asked.

"Yeah, I'll be alright. Thank you for introducing me to some of the people. I will be back as soon as I am done," Eve told them with a smile.

Nina nodded, then her and Galen continued back up to the main road and out of sight. Eve sighed and approached the tipi with butterflies in her stomach. Who lived here? Would this person be as nice as all the others?

"Hey," someone said from behind her.

Eve jumped as she came face to face with a person. A guy in a pointed, green hat with a flower, brown beard, red and brown clothes, and sunglasses was looking at her like she had just sprouted wings. He was holding a guitar of sorts in his left hand.

"Oh… hello. I'm Eve and am new to the town. I was just introducing myself to everyone," Even said with a bit of a blush.

"It's cool bro, just making sure you weren't trying to disrupt the peace of my hut. I'm Gustafa," he said in a calm voice.

"Good to meet you but I'm just passing through…bye," Eve said, trying to shake the awkward situation off as she hurried up the hill.

Was she too rude? Gosh she hoped not…but he had startled her was all. Eve sighed and looked around, seeing a farm across a stream. She hadn't tried there yet! Eve hurried across the bridge and peered over the fence at the beautiful vegetables and fruits that were growing in this farm. _This is where Vesta's Farm is, _Nina had told her earlier. The produce looked so perfect that it was unreal…defiantly some time had been put into this garden.

"I wonder if my garden could be like that someday…" She thought aloud, not realizing that she had made it and was standing inside beside a scarecrow.

"Sure it could be. It just takes care and practice," a voice said from beside her.

Eve jumped out of her thoughts, what was with people surprising her today? A guy stood beside her, wide eyed at her jump.

"I'm sorry if I scared you," he apologized.

He had a bit of stubble with black hair and dark eyes. He was wearing boots, blue jeans, and a white farmer's shirt that suggested he worked here.

"Oh no, it's fine…I'm just a bit jumpy today," Eve said.

"Might want to get that checked," he smiled.

Eve blushed, why was she so on edge today?

"Sorry to just be creepy and staring at the vegetables. I'm Eve Rossenburg, new to the Forget Me Not Valle," she told him.

"Pleasure to meet you Eve. I'm Marlin and work here at Vesta's farm. They aren't here right now since Vesta and Celia went to visit someone in another town about the auction tomorrow. The auctioneer is one of her good friends," Marlin explained.

"Oh yeah, I might bid on the farm tomorrow…I'm not sure really," Eve told him.

Marlin looked impressed, "You're interested in becoming a farmer? Sorry…you just don't look like the…farm type of girl."

This didn't offend Eve at all because she knew this was true. After all, her life in the city had been pretty sheltered. She really didn't know what it meant to work, hard work, for your living, though she intended to change that. Without Cal dominating her life she was ready for a change and ready to stand on her own two feet.

"Yeah…it's alright, I know. I'm just ready to escape city life for a variety of reasons. I've always dreamed to be free and on my own with something of substantial importance under my wing if you know what I mean," Eve explained, looking out over the garden again.

Marlin looked back at her, "No, I understand completely. Actually…if that farm would have gone up for sale another year into the future, I probably would have bought it. I'm ready for that kind of responsibility too after working for a few years here, and before that my father."

"Oh, I'm sorry you don't get a chance to bid," Eve replied, that was too bad.

"It's alright," Marlin said, his eyes clouding with something that Eve couldn't quite put her finger on, "though I do wish you good luck."

Eve smiled, "We'll see how it goes tomorrow."

They stood in silence for a moment just looking out over the garden, which was surprisingly peaceful.

"Well I better get back. I'm staying with Galen and Nina," Eve said.

Marlin nodded, "Alright, pleasant talking to you Miss Eve. See you around."

_I was able to meet the rest of the townspeople without any more surprises or unexpected appearances from behind me, which was good. I was really excited for the auction tomorrow and ended up keeping myself awake that night, thinking about the farm and for some reason what Marlin had said. He proved to be mysterious, collected with his thoughts, which I found interesting. I found myself wishing to talk to him again, which I passed off as want for a friendship that I hadn't had in a while. I also found myself thinking of Naomi who was a collected redhead that I had met on my way home. She seemed like she needed a friend too, which I took on as a challenge. I fell asleep that night with visions of my new life on that farm fresh in my imaginative mind. _

**A/N: Finally a new chapter posted! There you lovely people go and I hope you enjoyed it :)**


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